Preparing to Serve You Better

As the energy industry continues to transition and more segments of the economy are becoming electrified, such as vehicles, machinery and even lawn equipment, additional pressures are being placed on our nation’s electric grid.

With summer storm season upon us, I thought it would be a good time to tell you about a few measures we’re taking to ensure you continue receiving the reliable power you depend on and deserve.

While trees provide shade and add beauty to our area, you may be surprised to learn that overgrown vegetation accounts for about half of all the power outages across the United States.

That’s why we strive to keep the co-op’s power lines clear in right-of-way (ROW) areas. A ROW area is the land a co-op uses to construct, maintain, replace or repair underground and overhead power lines. This ROW enables Western to provide clearance from trees and other obstructions that could hinder distribution power lines. The overall goal of our vegetation management strategy is to provide reliable power to our members while maintaining the beauty of our area.

Vegetation Management

Generally speaking, healthy trees don’t fall on power lines, and clear lines don’t cause problems. Proactive trimming and pruning keep lines clear to improve power reliability. Vegetation management is costly and time consuming, but necessary. It entails on-the-ground, labor-intensive efforts involves assessing vegetation proximity to power lines and overseeing the quality and completion of contractor work. Consistently hiring qualified contractors who specialize in vegetation management is important to reduce our cost of line repairs and improve efficiency.

Planned Outages Improve Reliability

Although it may seem counterintuitive, we also maintain power reliability through planned, controlled outages. By carefully cutting power to one part of our local area for a few hours, Western Cooperative can perform system repairs and upgrades in a safe manner, which ultimately improves electric service. For planned power outages we typically notify you in advance of a planned outage, via phone, so make sure we have your correct contact information on file with an updated phone number.

Vegetation management is an essential tool in ensuring power reliability and minimizing the risk of outages. It is important to public safety to keep trees clear of power lines. As advancements in equipment and capabilities evolve, we anticipate using additional technologies to ensure a consistent energy supply while managing the environment. 

Lastly, I encourage you to follow Western Cooperative on social media so you can learn about the latest co-op updates and sign up for SmartHub to receive notification of when your power is out and when it has been restored.